Pulp-molding machine



(No Model.)

E. C. WESTERVELT. PULP MOLDING MACHINE.

No. 430,005. Patented June 24, 1800.

www

W /J-/O 5%M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDMUN D C. VESTERVELT, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

PULP-MOLDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters 'Patent No. 430,905, dated June 24, 1890.

Application iilecl September 12, 1889. Serial No. 323,735. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDMUND C. WESTER- VELT, of South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pulp- Molding Machines; and 1 do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification, in Which- Figure l is a perspective view of my im proved molding-machine for forming articles from plastic material, such as paper or wood pulp. Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional v lew of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view.

This invention is an improved machine for forming articles from or molding them out of plastic material-such as wood or paperpulpwherein is a considerable amount of water which must be expelled; and it consists in the hereinafter described and claimed novel construction and combination of parts, which, as shown, are especially designed for forming pails or buckets and similar hollow ware out of the pulp. Referring to the drawings by letter,A designates a support or table of the machine, having an annular opening A', in which lits an annular ring H, flanged on its lower surface, as at h, said flange fitting against the under surface of the table, and being removably secured thereto by screw-bolts H', or in other suitable manner, and the top surface of said annulus being liush with the upper surface of the table.

B designates a former, corresponding in exterior contour to the inner contour desired for the object to be molded, and said former is thickly perforated throughout and has a vertical segmental section B', as indicated. The former is hollow and open at bottom to permit Water to flow therefrom. Said former is supported upon annulus H during the molding operation.

Surrounding former B, but not impinging against the same, are a series of mold-blocks D, three being shown. Each block is the segn ment of an annulus of greater diameter and height than former B, so as to inclose the,

latter.

tapered orbeveled, so that a very close joint is made between the same. These plates allow the blocks to be moved toward or from the former B without permitting escape of pulp between the blocks, which as they are retracted from the former separate. The blocks D are respectively connected to the pistons e of cylinders E, secured upon the table,which pistons are actuated by hydraulic pressure, preferably through pipes E2, connecting with a suitable force-pump P, operated in any convenient manner, the Water entering the cyl inders and driving the pistons forward, thereby moving blocks D inward toward the former B. The pistons act-against coiled springs S in the cylinders, which springs retract the pistons and blocks D when the water-pressure is relieved, as is obvious.

K designates a plate supported above former B, beneath which the blocks D fit nicely and move, as described,V and L designates a vertically-movable liauged disk lying close to and beneath plate K and supported by a piston L' of a cylinder L2, suspended above plate K and connected with the pump i), so as to actuate plate L by hydraulic pressure similar to the actuating devices of blocks D D.

G designates a pulp-supply pipe leading through one or more of the blocks D, as indicated, by which the pulp can be forced into the space between the formerB and the blocks D, and G isa similar pulp-supply pipe which may lead upward through annulus H to supply the pulp, as shown.

The device is operated about as follows: The liquid material or pulp is forced into the space between the exterior of former B and interior faces of plates C and disk L through pipes G or G', a thin cloth tu having been preferably placed over former B and plates C to prevent adherence of the pulp thereto. The blocks D and disk L are drawn away from the former, so as to permit a sufficient amount of pulp to be injected to form a sufliciently thick 0r heavy walled vessel when compressed and the water therein expelled. The hydraulic pump is then actuated and the blocks D forced in- IOO Ward, gradually compressing the pulp around the former on all sides, as is evident, and simultaneously disk L is forced downward, coinpressing the pulp on top of the former, forcing the Water therefrom, said Water escaping through the perforations in formerB andthe annulus H. The pressure is increased and continued until the material is sufficiently solidified and set, when the blocks D are retracted, disk L raised, and annulus H is unfastened and lowered with the former and the molded vessel and removed to a convenient place, wherethe former and vessel are inverted, and then by removing section B and compressing the other parts of the former together, which may be hinged or otherwise united, thus lessening its diameter, it can be readily removed from the molded vessehwhich can be left to thoroughly dry and be finished in the usual manner, the former being replaced on the annulus and the latter again fastened to the table in readiness for another operation. The cloths prevent adhering of the pulp or material to the former when the pulp is compressed and gives a smoother surface to the molded article. The overlapping beveled edges of plates C C insure smooth exterior finish to the article also.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. The combination of the sidemold-blocks E having plates on theirinner faces formed with overlapping edges c, and the vertically-movable top disk L, with the perforated former B, having a removable segment B substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the horizontallymovable mold-blocks D and the verticallymovable molddisk L with the perforated former B, and the removable annulus H, supporting the former, all substantially as hereln described.

3. The herein-described machine for forming hollow Ware from wood pulp, consisting of a support having an opening, an annulus H, secured therein, a former B, having a removable segment B supported o n said annulus, and the top plate K, with the series of moldblocks D, playing between said annulus and top plate and inclosing the former, the vertically-movable disk L below the top plate and above the former, the cylinders and pistons for operating said disk and mold-blocks, and the pulp-supply pipes, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDMUND C. VESTERVELT.

Witnesses:

J AMES DUsHA-Nn, WILL G. ORoBILL. 

